Tip to remember phrasal verbs. B2.2. Blended learning

B2.2. Blended learning

Tip to remember phrasal verbs

• Let's spread out so we can cover a larger area. (split up to search)

Out expresses ideas of something becoming wider or fuller, covering a greater extent, or lasting for a longer time.

• I'll brush up my English before going to London. (refresh knowledge)
• When I was a child, I couldn't wait to grow up. (become older)
• I had to turn down a job offer because the pay was too low. (decline, refuse)

1 __________: down, out, upUp expresses the idea that something increases in size, strength, or importance, while down expresses ideas of something becoming smaller, weaker, or less important.

Choose one meaning from the chart for each group of particles.

• Cheer up! Victory is just round the corner. (Don't be sad)
• Calm down! The matter has been resolved. (become less angry, nervous or excited)

2 __________: down, upSome phrasal verbs with up refer to things becoming more exciting, lively, or interesting, or to people becoming happier. Phrasal verbs with down refer to things becoming quieter or calmer, or to people becoming more unhappy.

• Please, fill up the petrol tank. (cause to become full to the top)
• We ended up just ordering pizza and not going to the fancy restaurant. (eventually decide or reach something)
• After trying to change the oil in my car for a couple of hours, I finally gave up and went to a mechanic. (surrender, quit)

3 __________: upYou do something completely or reach a complete end.

• The further we walked from the disco, the more the music faded away. (grow less distinct)
• The shouting died down when the rock star began singing. (decrease, diminish)
• The annual picnic was called off due to rain. (cancel)
• The energy from my morning coffee starts to wear off around noon. (disappear, diminish)
• We've run out of milk, so I'll go to the shop. (have nothing left)

4 _________: away, down, off, outWhen something ends, we can think of it as gradually going farther away until it completely disappears.

• Never look back, never have regrets. (remember the past)
• She's trying to leave behind a difficult adolescence. (escape something unwanted)
• When I pack for a vacation, I try to think ahead. (predict, prepare for the future)
• I'm looking forward to visiting them tomorrow. (be excited about sth in the future)

5 __________: ahead, back, behind, forwardMetaphors relating to time are often based on the idea that time is like a line that goes from the past to the future, with the past behind us and the future in front of us. Phrasal verbs with ahead and forward express ideas of the future, while phrasal verbs with back and behind express ideas of the past.

6 __________: away, down, in, off, out, up

• My dog is too lazy to run away. (escape)
• Come down from that wall. You're going to fall. (descend)
• Please come in; the door is open. (enter)
• Take the subway and get off at Union Station. (descend)
• I picked up the book which had fallen on the floor. (lift)

Out may mean socializing outdoors.

• He'd like to ask her out on a date. (ask someone to go out)
• Since he got a girlfriend he stopped hanging out with his friends. (be with friends)

7 __________: ahead, along, behind, on, throughMaking progress and achieving things is like being on a journey towards your destination. Phrasal verbs with along describe the progress that is being made, while phrasal verbs with ahead and behind express good progress or poor progress.

• Until yesterday, things had been going along quite nicely. (advance)
• In order to get ahead in business you need to be assertive. (be successful)
• I’ve fallen behind with my work. (not keep up)

Through describes the process of achieving something or dealing with work.

• The company broke through with these new ideas. (make sudden advance)

Phrasal verbs with on express the idea of continuing with an activity or task.

• If you carry on / keep on practicing the piano, you'll get better! (continue doing sth)

8 ___________: away, in, into, outWe think of activities as if they have physical dimensions, like areas or spaces. In phrasal verbs, in and into express the idea of getting involved, while away and out express the idea of avoiding or ending an involvement.

• I ran into one of my secondary school teachers last week at the supermarket. (encounter by chance)
• We joined in the fun. (participate in)
• You can’t walk away from the relationship. (abandon)
• We checked out of our hotel before noon. (pay the bill and depart)

9 ___________: around, aside, off, out, over, roundWe think of difficulties as if they are physical objects that get in our way. Some phrasal verbs have to do with ignoring problems. The metaphorical idea is that we go around or over the things that are in our way, or we push them farther away.

• He skirted around / round the subject and managed not to mention it. (avoid)
• We need to put aside our differences. (ignore)
• I've put off learning phrasal verbs for too long. It's time to start today. (postpone)
• That couple has many problems that they need to work out. (solve)
• I tried to smooth things over between them. (conciliate)

10 __________: down, over, under, upWhen one person has power and controls another, we think of the first person as being in a higher position than the second. Some phrasal verbs with over and up express ideas of being in control, or becoming more powerful than someone else.

• My sweet husband puts up with my terrible singing. (tolerate)
• Think over big purchases before you make them. (consider)

Phrasal verbs with down and under express ideas of someone being forced into a weaker position, or of being controlled or restricted.

• Despite the evidence, he refused to back down. (withdraw your position in a fight, argument, plan, etc.)
• Prisoners are kept under constant surveillance. (be subject to)

11 ____________________ : apart, off, together, upRelationships are like physical connections. Together refers to a close relationship between two people or groups, while apart refers to the ending of a relationship.

• We got together in our first year at university. (socialize)
• Lisa's marriage fell apart when she discovered her husband was having an affair. (go wrong)

Up refers to people forming a new relationship, or to a person joining a group.

• I didn't expect him to turn up at my party, as he wasn't invited. (arrive, be present)

However, a verb meaning break followed by up refers to the ending of a relationship.

• He’s just broken up with his girlfriend. (separate)

Off may refer to a new relationship between two people. The metaphor is that the two people come together and become separate from a larger group.

• All our friends seemed to be pairing off. (form a couple)

12 _____________________: across, between, forth, in, into, out, over, through We think of communication between two people as a connection between them, with information passing from one to the other, often across a large space.

• He put his ideas across clearly. (communicate in a comprehensible way)
• I don’t seem to be able to get through to them. (reach on the phone)
• The message came over clearly. (be clear)
• Something passed between them. (talk or do something together)

When one person says something, their words seem to leave them physically. When they are told something, the message seems to enter them.

• He often comes to me to pour out his troubles. (express freely)

• My brother-in-law was holding forth on the subject of politics. (talk a lot)
• She had to repeat her words before they finally sank in. (be understood)
• My parents drummed its importance into us. (cause to enter the mind of someone by repetition)

13 ____________________: into, out, up We think of things that are not yet known, or that other people may not want us to know, as if they are in a container, or covered or buried. Phrasal verbs with into describe the process of trying to find information from someone or something.

• I wrote a letter of complaint. The airline will look into the matter. (try to find)

Some phrasal verbs with out and up express ideas of revealing secrets or finding information, as if they are uncovered or brought to the surface.

• The mechanic tried to figure out what was wrong with my car. (understand)
• I just found out that my sister is pregnant. (discover)
• His story didn't add up. I think he's lying. (make sense)
• You shouldn't bring up politics in this house. (raise a subject)
• I met my friend to catch up; we hadn't seen each other for ages! (exchange news)
• I looked up that strange word in a dictionary. (search for something in a book or online.)